Unmasking Institutionalized Racism and Economic Inequality

Today we live in a world where people like to think that racism is over. However, this is completely false. Traditional racism, like calling a Hispanic person a "spic" is less prevalent but institutionalized racism is still as strong as ever.

Institutionalized racism is any kind of system of inequality based on race. A friend said to me once, "Everyone acts like there is a conspiracy against black people... they just commit more crimes!" On the contrary, DWB (driving while black) is a known problem for black people. But, the problem is not that they're black, but that the general population (including cops) is inherently racist, so they get pulled over more, are more harshly judged, and then get trapped in the cogs of a failed judicial system that focuses on incarceration instead of rehabilitation. (That and prisoners now make corporations and the Prison-Industrial-Complex a lot of money!)

To bring some nuance to this issue, The Boondocks always makes fun of how Ed Wuncler III is the son of a rich banking tycoon (Ed Rothschild Wuncler Sr.), and because of this, he gets away with all sorts of outlandish criminal activity. Ed Jr. is incompetent and always gets caught, but people act like they don't see it, or don't do anything about it, because he is Ed Wuncler. If you think about the state of the world, Ed (played by Charlie Murphy) and Gin Rummy (played by Samuel L. Jackson) are really just personifying the CIA, who try to be sneaky (although everyone knows what's happening because they're clumsy) and operate with impunity because of their association with wealthy banking elites.

The easiest way to see that our system is inherently racist is to look at the proportion of blacks in prison to blacks in the general population. We shouldn't have as many people in prison in America as we do, but a quick glance will show that the percentage of black's in prison to the percentage in the population is clearly disproportionate. A review of this evidence is a clear indication that the judicial system is inherently and latently racist. Another clear example of current institutionalized racism is Arizona's immigrant legislation. In Arizona, racial profiling is now legal. Need I say more? 

There is also the issue of unrepresented white-collar crime. Although the subprime mortgage collapse caused millions to lose accrued capital in the stock market, not a single person has been indicted or charged with any sort of criminal offense (and I'm sure they're white). Americans have a very narrow, pre-scripted view of what crime is because emotionally charged racial sentiments are easier to accept than rational argument. A black guy could rob the corner store for a few hundred dollars and get a decade in prison, whereas a white guy behind a desk can partake in naked short selling of stocks, lose companies and people millions of dollars, and get a shorter sentence at a nicer prison facility than the black guy (if he gets caught at all). The fact is, the FBI and police departments don't dedicate themselves to white-collar crime like they do drug busts and petty theft because that doesn't infringe on those with power and authority.

Literally all drug laws were put into place due to racial initiatives. Marijuana was made illegal to further Mexican repatriation after the great depression because America no longer had a need for a cheap labor force. Cocaine was made illegal because it was seen as causing black violence against white women. 

Still today, the penalties for doing coke are harsher than those for cocaine because coke is cheaper and can therefore only be afforded by the poor, whereas cocaine can be afforded by the rich. I'm not saying that all black and Latinos are poor, but the amount in poverty makes it seem as if they cause more problems, when in fact, laws and enforcement are just rigged to oppress the poor, which disproportionately affects Black and Latino.

The fact is, whites simply get away with more, and this country is still outrageously racist. Why are black people called African-American, and white people aren't called European-American? The fact that there is a black history month proves that black people are underrepresented in history.  It should just be 'American History,' and black people should play a larger role. Personally, I don't remember learning about Nikola Tesla or George Washington Carver in my high school social studies class. Why? I don't know.

We are not born but socialized to be racist by our family, friends, and our environment. As long as we continue to separate ourselves from one another based on race, we will continue to believe it actually matters. The truth is, there is only one race, the human race! We should accept and appreciate differences, recognize and cherish them. Diversity of all kinds is what makes culture and society better. Any economist will tell you about the benefits of trade and exchanging values of any kind.

Affirmative action was put in place to try to correct the abuses of slavery and address the economic inequality that still exists. I do see color, but the difference to me is silly; it matters to me as much as eye color does... But at any rate, in America, the question isn't "Am I racist?" but "How racist am I?"

What white people don't get is that black people don't have a choice and can't get away from the life that most white's take for granted and don't know exists for minorities.  White people get away with more because they are privileged and implicitly taught they are superior in school and culture. Just because racial discrimination doesn't affect you, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Most people just assume that because someone is Black or Latino, they have a slew of stereotypical negative qualities. You don't just see a person, you see "those people" who are more likely to commit crimes or cause drama, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where the result is so-called "bad attitudes" and apathy. Black people (especially) do one of two things: they either stand up against racism and are ostracized for their beliefs (e.g., Kanye West) or they just play the game (like Wayne Brady).

The fact is, that if you're white, you don't know what it's like to be black in America. You presume you are treated the same and get the same opportunities, but you don't. You don't know what it's like. I don't know what it's like. And the whole lack of any sort of empathy or sympathy is why this country is still so racist.

Racists blame black people for their economic problems. But the truth is that this country has so many issues because most are ignorant of the real problem. What racism does is divide groups based on arbitrary attributes to distract from the fact that we have common interests. And, those common interests lie in economic justice. Our real enemy is the wealthy elite.

The Bottom Line: Who Benefits From Our Division?

We have been socialized to focus on our differences, but this division is a strategic distraction from the real issue: economic injustice. As long as we allow ourselves to be categorized and controlled, we will never see the systemic architecture that profits from our struggle.

Are you ready to see the full picture?

If you want to move beyond the surface-level narratives and understand how institutional power structures maintain control through racial division and economic exploitation, my book, "Dark Racism," dives deep into the mechanisms of our unequal society.

Stop guessing about the state of the world—get the full analysis at DarkRacism.com.

Thanks for reading! Please comment!

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